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There is a great deal of hype lately about coconut oil. And being the cynical person I am, I wanted to debunk its claim to fame. But honestly, I can’t. Its uses are immeasurable, and here is yet another one:

Coconut oil: the NON-breast-cancer-and-Alzheimer’s-causing Body-Odor-Eliminator. That’s right friends, when you rub this stuff on your armpits, you aren’t bringing yourself one step closer to a life threatening disease.* Think about it. You shave your armpits (I’m making assumptions here, I know), which creates thousands of tiny little armpit cuts, which you then follow up with rubbing on a glob of toxic cream, or aluminum-based deodorant.

So, in my pursuit of something that is cheaper, healthier, and just as effective, I stumbled upon this recipe gem from wellnessmama.com.

6 T coconut oil

4 T baking soda

4 T cornstarch

A few drops of tea tree oil

Now:

Mix baking soda and cornstarch together.

Mash in coconut oil.

Add tea tree oil.

Store in small glass jar, and apply by rubbing on with your fingers.

Note: coconut oil turns to liquid at 76F, so be sure to store in a cool spot.

The outcome: this recipe is a little gritty, and I think I would like the feel of lotion-consistency deodorant more. However, I have been satisfied with the effects so far. It works! (And trust me, while I am concerned about staying healthy and keeping my memory, at this point in my life, not repulsing people with body odor takes precedent.)

For a better consistency, try with shea butter!

3 T coconut oil

3 T baking soda

2 T shea butter

2 T arrowroot (or cornstarch)

A few drops of tea tree oil

*Disclaimer: There is much debate over whether aluminum really has an impact on the risk of breast cancer and Alzheimer’s